I have no idea why you would buy from bikes direct in this case. I have nothing against the company, but at the prices listed you can get a bike fully assembled and setup just for you. There are five Trek hybrid bikes and one Specialized hybrid that have a list price under the $550 Motobecane.

The bikes I am referring to are:

Trek 7000, 7100, 7200, 7.1 FX, and 7.2 FX
Specialized Sirrus

I will say this about bikes direct: They compare the Motobecane bike to a Trek 1.2 or SOHO, but neither of those bikes are comparable to the Motobecane because they not hybrids, nor are they equipped like hybrids. So were you to actually compare the Moto to the Treks, the Moto would lose out.

Secondly, here is the blurb on the back of the Trek price sheet I got recently, I am sure it is fairly typical of most local bike shops:

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING VALUES:

We offer an extended wrranty on all our bicycles at no charge.
Full service for the whole family, year round, and feel free to inspect the service department.
Our bicycle assembly is free, and we take great pride in our quality assembly, it makes a great difference in satisfaction and performance of your bicycle.
Each bike is properly fitted.
Free tune up after 30 days.

Plus, bikes direct recommends that you have their bike professionally finished and tuned prior to use. So you must add that cost to the final price. I would rather see you rescue a bike off of craigslist than buy from an online retailer. Please support your local business person.